For more than seventy years, the wreck of the Titanic lay hidden in the depths of the North Atlantic. Countless attempts to find it had failed, leaving the site of one of history’s greatest maritime tragedies shrouded in mystery. That changed in… [Read more…]
For more than seventy years, the wreck of the Titanic lay hidden in the depths of the North Atlantic. Countless attempts to find it had failed, leaving the site of one of history’s greatest maritime tragedies shrouded in mystery. That changed in 1985, when a team led by oceanographer Robert Ballard announced they had found the lost ship. What the public did not know at the … [Read more…]
The cockpit was choking with smoke as Colonel William A. Jones III forced his A-1H Skyraider through another low pass near Dong Hoi, North Vietnam. Anti-aircraft fire raked the valley, and his aircraft had already taken a direct hit, but he pressed on, searching for the downed American pilot who had parachuted into enemy territory. When he finally spotted the survivor, enemy … [Read more…]
On August 30, 2021, the United States closed the chapter on its longest war. Under the cover of night, the last US Air Force transport planes lifted off from Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport. Onboard were the final contingent of American troops guarding the evacuation effort. For the first time in 20 years, Afghanistan was left without a US military presence. … [Read more…]
I have a friend who is an accomplished writer. He is an older man. He is at terms with himself. He tells me that to be a good writer, you must be able to walk naked down Main Street on Sunday afternoon. It is a metaphor, of course. However, he makes a salient point. One must be comfortable with the truth about who he or she is. It seemed to me that the environment in … [Read more…]
Just as civilians can now purchase MREs to eat as emergency rations, some of the food in your pantry today was once field rations. Innovation in food processing and preservation methods that began in the military was soon applied in the civilian world; thus, some of our favorite instant and processed foods, whether we are aware of it or not, were originally designed for the … [Read more…]
If you’ve pulled duty along the southwest border this year, there’s a new piece of hardware in the pipeline with your name on it. The Pentagon has established the Mexican Border Defense Medal (MBDM) to recognize troops supporting Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under the current border mission. The order came down in an Aug. 13 memorandum from SECDEF Hegseth, confirming … [Read more…]
“The Su-35 is Moscow’s…best, non-stealth fighter…(their) most-capable and combat-proven, fighter jet…used extensively during the seemingly never-ending, Russo-Ukrainian War. Russian Su-35 pilots have thus far claimed at least seven air-to-air victories against Ukrainian, fixed-wing fighters…the Su-35 will probably be the Russians’ primary, frontline fighter for several more … [Read more…]
From Castaño to Sugar Land Macario García—his headstone reads “Macario,” though records often show “Marcario”—was born on January 2, 1920, in Villa de Castaño, Coahuila, Mexico. His family crossed into Texas while he was still a child, finding work in the fields and ranches around Sugar Land. School ended early for young Macario; by the third grade, he was needed full-time in … [Read more…]
Certain dates echo across the battlefield of history, and August 24 is one of them. From the smoke-filled streets of Washington in 1814 to the fields of Lorraine in 1914 and the waters off the Solomons in 1942, the day marks three defining episodes in military history. The Burning of Washington, 1814 Also known as the Capture of Washington, the War of 1812 brought … [Read more…]
On August 23, 1945, the gates of a Japanese prisoner of war camp in Manchuria, China, swung open to advancing Russian troops. Among the gaunt, starving prisoners they freed was Lt. Gen. Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright IV, the man who had commanded American and Filipino forces during the desperate defense of the Philippines. Once nicknamed “Skinny,” he was now skeletal, his hair … [Read more…]
On August 22, 2007, a US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter lifted off into the darkness of northern Iraq. Its mission was routine by the standards of the war, ferrying reconnaissance scouts back from a completed operation near Kirkuk. Within minutes, the routine turned tragic. The helicopter, call sign “Jenna,” suffered a mechanical failure and crashed, killing all 14 … [Read more…]
On a spring morning in 1944, along the battered fields near Carano Creek in Italy, Technical Sergeant Van T. Barfoot rose from cover and moved alone toward the German defenses that had pinned down his platoon. The ground ahead was mined and swept with machine gun fire, but Barfoot pressed forward. Grenade in hand, he silenced one enemy nest, then pushed into the trenches, … [Read more…]
